State House and Senate leaders on Thursday came out in support of a $125 million financing package that's been proposed to help build a steel mill in northeast Arkansas, saying the benefits of the project outweigh any risks to the state.

As a veteran legislator and two-term Democratic governor who has used the veto sparingly, Mike Beebe has spoken out against several GOP measures but won't say whether he'll veto them if they reach his desk.

What happened to the Medicaid session? Despite all the talk before lawmakers gathered at the Arkansas Capitol that Medicaid's finances and future would overshadow just about every other issue, there's been scant attention paid to the $5 billion program and efforts to expand it under the federal health care law

A veiled reference to a "superproject" took up only a couple of sentences when Gov. Mike Beebe laid out his legislative agenda for 2013 last month. Now that it's been revealed as a $1.1 billion steel mill, it has altered the agenda for this year's session.

Arkansas Teacher Retirement System Executive Director George Hopkins says the fund's board is planning to vote Monday on investing $60 million as the project raises startup cash. The investment represents about one-half of 1 percent of the fund's $12.25 billion in assets.

Arkansas legislative leaders said Thursday that they need more information about the flexibility the state will have if it expands Medicaid and better figures on how much of a shortfall the program faces.

Video of Republican Sen. Michael Lamoureux of Russellville, speaking on his first day as leader of the state Senate, and vowing to work with both parties as the Legislature tries to address a Medicaid shortfall.

Arkansas legislative leaders on Monday vowed to work across party lines after an election where Republicans won control of the House and Senate for the first time in 138 years, opening a session that will be dominated by questions about the state's Medicaid program.

Leaders of the Arkansas House and Senate say most questions about the state budget, tax cut proposals or a possible special session depend on how legislators address a Medicaid program that already receives nearly one out of every five tax dollars the state receives in its general revenue budget.